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End of Medical Dark Ages: Entrepreneur Predicts When We'll Have Cancer Under Control

Serial entrepreneur, historian and dreamer Jay Walker joined Glenn on radio Wednesday for an epic conversation about the future of America.

"If you are a dreamer and a doer, this is going to be a fantastic hour. I have wanted to sit down with this guy for quite some time," Glenn said Wednesday on radio.

Walker --- labeled the Edison of his age by Forbes in 1999 --- is a modern-day Renaissance man. While his day job involves creating cutting-edge companies like Priceline.com and Upside.com that provide a patented, buyer-driven experience, his obsession is finding the connectedness . . . in everything. The breakthroughs he sees coming in the fields of health and medicine are of particular interest.

"For 3 billion years, life on the planet has followed a very simple system," Walker said. "We all share the same DNA --- a tree, a dog, a human. We have so much in common. For the first time in human history, in the history of the world, humans have control of the operating code. We are now manipulating the DNA, which means, for the first time, it's as if we had the software of life."

Walker explained how scientists are at the cusp of operating down to the instructional layer, which creates the proteins that create the tissues, systems and organs of the body.

"It's almost as if we're inventing printing, reading, writing and thinking all at the same time in forms of medicine," Walker said.

In effect, we're living in an extraordinary time in the history of the world.

"We're at the end of the medical Dark Ages," Glenn offered.

RELATED: Imagine a Priceline.com or Upside.com for Everything (Even Health Insurance)

So passionate is Walker about the field of medicine he helped launch TEDMED, an independent health and medicine edition of the world-famous TED conference.

"How far do you think we are away from curing the majority of cancer?" Glenn asked.

According to Walker, it's not so much curing cancer that's around the corner, but being able to manage it as a livable disease like AIDS.

"How far do you think we are away from that?" Glenn asked.

"If you're saying leukemias and blood cancers, we're probably five years, maybe 10," Walker said.

"Holy cow," Glenn responded.

Walker's belief in the systematic, connectedness of everything even applies to his remarkable library which holds 25,000 books.

"People come to my library and they say, 'How are the books organized, Jay? How do you organize the books? You have 25,000 books. Is there a card catalog?' I say, 'Absolutely not. They're organized randomly by height,'" Walker laughed.

The library, Walker says, is one of imagination.

"They were all written by humans. They're all connected. You figure out why this is connected to that. The act of imagining is the essential act of creation. Nothing happens if you don't imagine it, whether it's who you're going to marry, the children you want to have, the kind of country you want to live in, the kind of job you want to have. It's all about your imagination. Everything happens here first. It happens in your head."

Enjoy the complimentary clip or listen to this segment for details.

GLENN: I first talked to Jay Walker -- I've known about him for a long, long time. But I first met Jay Walker on the phone -- this is the first time we've actually sat in the same room together.

And immediately, I felt connected to him and the way he thinks. He's an optimist. He sees a massive change on the horizon. But he knows it doesn't have to be bad. It probably is going to be a little rough getting there. But it doesn't have to be bad. And he sees the future unlike most people do. And he sees it through the eyes of history, which is so wickedly important. Just full disclosure, he is the guy who started upside.com which is an advertiser on this program. But I do want to ask him one question on something he told me about Upside when we first spoke. But this is not an advertisement. We're not even going to talk about that. You need to meet this man.

He's just started something called Ted MD, which is TED talks -- no, I'm sorry. Med Ted. Sorry. Med Ted. Yeah, TEDMED.

Jeez, how many times am I going to get this wrong?

STU: You only asked him three times before you came on the air.

GLENN: I know. I know. What am I thinking?

So he started this, and I want to start here. I hate to bring it to a cheesy TV show, but I've been watching a show -- and now I can't even remember the name of it. It is --

JEFFY: Pure Genius, which was just cancelled.

GLENN: Pure Genius. Was it cancelled?

JEFFY: Yes.

GLENN: Oh, crap. That was such an optimistic show.

JEFFY: I know. I know.

GLENN: Have you seen that?

JAY: I have not.

GLENN: Okay. So the premise is a guy who is a billionaire, you know, a guy like you . . . just a serial entrepreneur, tech guy. He's in Silicon Valley. He's like, I'm going to start a hospital. And it shows --

JAY: Oh, boy. You'd be better starting a government.

GLENN: But it shows all the -- it takes all the red tape out and shows all the tech that is coming and how optimistic life really looks when you look at what's on the horizon and the breakthroughs we're about to go through.

As you're doing this, what are you seeing for --

JAY: Well, Glenn, the way to think about it for health and medicine, is that for 3 billion years, life on the planet has followed a very simple system. It's very simple. There's one -- you know, there's DNA. We have a common ancestor. And it's been evolving for 3 billion years, give or take depending on your beliefs. And I'm not picking on anybody's beliefs.

But the fact is, we all share the same DNA --- a tree, a dog, a human. We have so much in common. For the first time in human history, in the history of the world, humans have control of the operating code. We are now manipulating the DNA. Which means, for the first time, it's as if we had the software of life. That's never happened in history before.

It means for the first time, we're going to be able to operate down at the instruction layer, which creates the proteins, which then creates the tissues and the systems and the organs of the body. So we're right at the cusp.

It's almost as if we're inventing printing, reading, writing, and thinking all at the same time in forms of medicine. And so we are living at the beginning of an extraordinary time in the history of the world.

GLENN: We're at the end of the medical Dark Ages.

JAY: Exactly. It's as if we had just gotten the microscope for the first time, and we saw there was a tiny world that nobody knew existed. In 1665, Hook looks through his microscope, and he sees that the fly is composed of thousands of little eyes. And he says, "What is this micro world? What are these little things swimming around?"

And he can't even see bacteria. He can't even see the smallest things. And yet, an entirely new world opens up. Galileo looks into the heavens and sees that there are planets, but also sees that there are moons around Saturn and Jupiter. And suddenly, the notion that the earth is in the center of the universe drops away. The telescope and the microscope were the great changes of the 17th century. And now we're in the 21st century, and we're now seeing for the first time the actual code that brings things to life.

GLENN: We're seeing things -- Ray Kurzweil, I've talked to several times. I am --

JAY: The singularity, right? Ray talks about, we're about to hit this point at which everything breaks free and goes on an extraordinary compounding effect, and whether or not you agree or disagree with Ray, there is no question if you back up and you look at where we are in history, in medicine and health, we are about to exit the Dark Ages.

GLENN: So he said it's as if -- he said, the human body should last a lot longer than it does. It shouldn't wear out. He said, it's as if there's a switch somewhere that's just been turned off. And he said, we just have to find that switch. Are you -- when you look at the DNA --

JAY: Yeah, I wouldn't agree with Ray on that, but I understand where he's coming from.

The human body isn't a thing. The human body is a system. Think of the Amazon rain forest. It's composed of enormous different things. It's got trees and insects. It's got birds. It's got animals. It's got leaves. It's got photosynthesis. It's got fungi.

It's got all these things, and we call it the Amazon. It's constantly changing. You are an Amazon rain forest. You have trillions of --

GLENN: I think that's a fat joke --

JEFFY: It certainly was a fat joke to me.

JAY: So we don't switch on or off the Amazon rain forest. No, the Amazon rain forest isn't going away, despite, you know, our efforts to cut it down for lumber or to grow grass. But that being said, it's about a system.

What we're learning is how all the different systems of the body, including many that are not even human, we're learning about the microbiome. These are bacteria that we need to survive in our guts and all throughout us, for which without them, we can't make it.

GLENN: How far do you think we are away from curing the majority of cancer?

JAY: I think we're far from curing the majority. But we're not far from turning a significant number of cancers into a manageable, livable disease, like we did with AIDS.

We figured out not how to cure AIDs, but how to slow it down so you could live with the rest of your life with it, much like all men have prostate cancer. We just don't die of it.

But literally, 100 percent of men, if you do an autopsy at age 75, are going to have prostate cancer. They simply are not going to die from it.

Cancer is essentially a natural byproduct of having multicellular organisms. Because in the process of duplicating at the cellular level, you're going to have some mistakes randomly, and some of those mistakes are going to be so damned good at not being killed, that they're going to reproduce in a way that's bad for the organism as a whole, but good for the cell. So we don't eliminate cancer. We eventually figure out how to manage with it.

GLENN: How far do you think we are away from that?

JAY: If you say 50 percent of -- if you're saying leukemias and blood cancers, we're probably five years, maybe ten.

GLENN: Holy cow.

JAY: If you're saying soft tissue cancers, more like ten to 20. But a lot of it depends on whether or not we get better at finding them sooner. Today, we cannot detect cancer until it's about seven years old. So when somebody comes from a doctor and they say, "I've been diagnosed with cancer," you've had it for seven years. We can't see less than 100 million cells, which is less than the tiny point of a pin, 100 million cancer cells.

So cancer is a system disease of which we have many in our bodies, most of which will never come to the point where they hurt us. Cancer isn't like an infection where it's binary, you have it or you don't. Cancer is a symptom of the system. And the system learns to cope with it for most of your life.

GLENN: What's the most amazing thing you seen on the horizon in medical tech?

JAY: The most amazing thing is probably the mapping of the human protyle. So we call all the -- the proteins are the workhouses of the body --

PAT: That's what I was going to say.

JAY: They're the things that do all the work in your body. Your DNA codes for proteins. Proteins are the worker bees of the body at the simplest level. We really have never mapped them all. And it turns out most of the diseases, if not nearly all of them are dysfunctions of protein operations. Proteins are very complicated organisms. They're very, very small, but they're very complicated. We are now at the cusp of mapping them all.

And forget about mapping the human genome, which is great. It's the protium where all the action is at, and we're right about to map it.

GLENN: What will that change?

JAY: Well, it will allow us, for the first time, to understand what's really going on with disease. Up to now, we've actually not understood what's really going on.

GLENN: What does that mean?

JAY: Well, it means that the proteins are malfunctioning. When you have a disease --

GLENN: Hang on just a second. I just want to -- you know you're in the room with someone who is smart when you're -- I'm now in three levels deep of asking what the hell does that mean, and really --

JAY: I'm trying -- I'm trying to keep it broad for the audience. I'm not an MD or a PhD. I'm really not a doctor. I just talk to them all day.

GLENN: No, it's amazing. Right.

JAY: And, by the way, that's my spare time job because my main job is building a great company in Upside. So ironically, we're off on the side here.

But the -- basically, what it means is when we learn how proteins behave badly, we will recognize that your arthritis may be very similar to the fact that you have a sleep apnea, that they are the same proteins, just misbehaving.

There is a map of all the proteins.

GLENN: Wow.

JAY: And once we start to look at where the proteins are behaving badly, we now have the tools to finally figure out what the hell is going on with these diseases. We don't know anything about Alzheimer's. So much of that is a protein --

GLENN: So that's why sometimes you'll go in and things are absolutely not connected. Doctors will tell you, that's not connected. Well, but they're all happening at the same time.

JAY: Right.

GLENN: And, yeah, I know they're not connected. But I've never had these before, and now they're all happening.

JAY: Everything is connected. Okay? So anybody who tells you something isn't connected -- you don't go into the Amazon rain forest and say, well, the fact that the toads are dying is unconnected to the blight on the trees. No, everything is connected. The question is, at what level?

GLENN: Right.

JAY: Does it have a common cause? Or is it the result of common external factors? We're learning all that.

GLENN: You know what I'm amazed, talking to people like you, A, I feel really average. That's being very kind.

JAY: This isn't your area of expertise, in all fairness.

GLENN: I know. But, still, this is -- this is not your job.

JAY: It's not my day job.

GLENN: And the people I meet like you, have they always been around? Because I look through history -- and you'll see the people like Tesla and Edison. You'll see these people who are really quite bright in a million different things. We used to call them renaissance men.

JAY: Yeah.

GLENN: But there is something about this new group of entrepreneurs that they are -- Jon Huntsman Sr. is a friend of mine and started the Huntsman Cancer Center.

JAY: Yeah.

GLENN: And he said to me -- I asked him, teach me how to be charitable. I've been poor my whole life. I don't know how to be charitable.

JAY: It's an art. You have to learn how to do it.

GLENN: Yes. And he said, first lesson, you have to care about everything. Not just -- you have to care about everything.

And that kind of goes to --

JAY: It's very American. So this is a nation of insatiable curiosity. It's always been that way. It's because we've had the West. We were founded by a group of people who were fleeing somewhere else, with the handful of exceptions of the people who were here, right?

We've all come from somewhere else. We've all left a world behind, in order to come and build a new world in America. Nobody even knew it existed until 1500.

So the beauty of the American spirit is it's a spirit of insatiable curiosity. That's why we're a nation of tinkerers, a nation of inventors, a nation that's always trying to change. We don't look back as a nation. It's a weakness and a strength both at the same time.

But the fact is, this is -- the country -- America looks forward. People like that are insatiably curious about everything. And you find whether it's John Muir or Thomas Edison, these people recognized that at the deepest level, it's all connected.

So I have a great library in the history of human imagination. About 25,000 books.

GLENN: Love this.

JAY: Right? Now, it's a library about imagination. People come to my library. And they say, "How are the books organized, Jay? How do you organize the books? You have 25,000 books. Is there a card catalog?"

I say absolutely not. They're organized randomly by height. And he goes, "You have a library of 25,000 books organized randomly?" I said, "Yes. It's about imagination. You connect them. They were all written by humans. They're all connected. You figure out why this is connected to that."

The act of imagining is the essential act of creation. Nothing happens if you don't imagine it, whether it's who you're going to marry, the children you want to have, the kind of country you want to live in, the kind of job you want to have. It's all about your imagination -- everything happens here first. It happens in your head.

GLENN: We're having a great debate now between the legal and business side and the creative side of this company, of what -- who is the creative? And I keep saying, everyone is.

JAY: We all work for the customer. We all work for the customer.

GLENN: It's not even that, I am, fill in the blank. I am happy or I am sad. What are you going to create at the basic level? And everyone has the same power in a different way. Just, what are you creating?

JAY: Yeah. And we've taught, unfortunately, in so many ways, we live in a society of specialists. We've taught, specialize. Focus on one field. Do the best. Your economic result will be highest if you specialize.

And that's true. But it's generalists who integrate completely, unexpectedly. When you look at Steve Jobs and his life, you see a generalist. Not a specialist. You see a guy who was happy to go to India, happy to learn about type fonts, happy to understand the aesthetics of design. And yet, he was a technologist. Why? Because, really, great leaps forward are made by people who integrate from multiple fields. And that's why we call them polymaths, when they happen to be geniuses. Leonardo was a polymath. He was a genius in five fields. That allowed him to be a bigger genius in any one of them. And we see this throughout history.

GLENN: We're going to run out of time so fast. Jay Walker, a serial entrepreneur. A founder -- cofounder of Priceline. And many other things -- 900 patents. We'll continue our conversation with him in just a second.

[break]

GLENN: Let's talk a little bit about the -- the future and what you're seeing in things like Priceline and Upside.

JAY: So one of the great futures is we're living in this digital world, right? And everybody is saying, look at all this data. Okay. What does that mean to me? What does that mean to a person sitting out in the audience, and just listening and saying, okay. That's nice. The world is filled with data.

Here's one of the things it means. It means your flexibility, which right now you don't get paid for, you're going to start getting paid for.

Look, when you're walking down the supermarket aisle and you see an item on sale, next to one that isn't on sale, you can be flexible and say, I'm going to buy the brand that's on sale today because I normally buy that brand.

But that's just a small case. What happens every time you're shopping online and somebody says, "Hey, are you willing to be a little flexible? I'll give you $50, if you do this instead of that." I'll give you $90 if you do this instead of that."

Imagine a smart piece of software that offers you options that gives you personally more money for being flexible. And, by the way, gives your boss something too.

So the key idea behind one of the things I'm working on is, how do you turn flexibility into an asset? How do you turn it into something where I have my phone -- hey, look, I want to go to New York on a trip. But if I leave 15 minutes earlier, you'll give me $50. If I leave -- if I go into a different airport, you'll give me $100. If I stay at a hotel across the street, that's worth $200 to me.

I can't find all those choices. There's too many choices. But software can.

The beauty of the world we're living in, with this new big data software, is it can evaluate tens of thousands of choices for you. Show you just a few that makes sense.

GLENN: So when we come back -- can you talk a little bit about that? Because you've demonstrated that in Upside. And that's -- I got to that with you because I said, okay. What's the catch? And you explained it to me. And I'm like, holy cow, that's brilliant.

And you said to me, now, imagine that with everything.

So let's talk about that. And also, I want to talk about the -- the world that is going out and examining all these things, but then putting us into little teeny boxes, where we don't see the big picture anymore.

RADIO

Why the US-Canada Hockey BEATDOWN was More than Just a Game

Does the world hate America under Trump, or are we gaining more respect? Glenn takes a look at the latest headlines: Trump and Putin have agreed to begin negotiations for the war in Ukraine, India wants to “make India great again,” Vice President JD Vance ripped into European elites over censorship, Trump has announced plans for reciprocal tariffs, and the United States absolutely pummeled Canada in a hockey game after Canadians booed the US National Anthem. But this game, which started with 3 fights, was more than just a victory. Glenn explains how it’s a defining moment of the “new era” we have entered and, much like the 1980 “Miracle on Ice”, it has helped revitalize the American spirit.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Well, does the world hate us, or are we gaining respect?

Let's look. Last week, Trump was busy with the world leaders. On Wednesday, Trump said he had a very lengthy phone call with Russia president Vladimir Putin in which they agreed to begin negotiations on Ukraine. On Truth Social, Trump posted, good possibility of ending this horrible, very bloody war. They also discussed the Middle East, energy, and other issues. And agreed to make visits to each other's country. The president also spoke to the Australian Prime Minister. They discussed defense. Trade investment. Mineral supply chains. And concerns about China's aggressiveness.

Also, last week, the world came to the White House. King Abdullah of Jordan.

He was at the White House.

They discussed the situation in Gaza. And then late in the week, it was the turn of India's Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Modi. He visited the White House.

They talked about launching a new initiative on military partnership, commerce. And our countries are going to work together on semi conductors. And AI. In the end, the Prime Minister of India said, we're going to make India great again as well.

The 51st governor, the that one runs Canada is still not happy with Trump.

It played out this weekend, in a Canadian soul-crushing event. I'll get to that in just a minute. In Germany, over the weekend, they were listening to our new vice president. J.D. Vance. They were a little upset. Because he said, the control of thoughts and free speech has to end.

It actually made one of the leaders of the group, weep. Openly.

Saying, that it just showed how far apart Europe and America really are.

And, yes. As the Germans bust down doors for a -- for a retweet. I agree. On free speech, we're quite fire apart. Sixty minutes did a segment on it. That's our topic next hour. But the Germans are now claiming it was free speech that led to the Holocaust.

Excuse me. In Paris, European leaders huddled behind closed doors over the weekend, debating Ukraine's future. Official statements, spoke of unity. But is that the reality?

France and Germany, they're whispering peace talks while Poland in the Baltics brace for something much, much worse.

It's a war of words, at this point now. But history suggests that words don't end wars.

Back then, Washington in its own battlefield, this time over tariffs. The president announced last week, a simple plan. Whatever you charge us. We will charge you.

China was very upset.

Boohoo. Wall Street panicked. In the heartland, farmers remembered fair trade means fair play.

Over the weekend, storms rolled in, as well. They came in fast, and they came in hard. It was Kentucky. West Virginia. Tennessee, and Virginia. Four states that are now digging out from flash floods that swallowed roads and homes and lives.

But among the storm clouds, there was a little parting, some good news.

Small-town America doesn't wait for Washington. Neighbors showed up.

Churches opened doors.

And somewhere, a farmer with a backhoe is already clearing a neighbor's driveway. That's America.

Back in Washington this week, President Trump is delivered on his promises, while even attending the Super Bowl and NASCAR. He's done all kinds of things, including last week, a decisive 25 percent tariff on foreign steel and aluminum, aiming to protect American jobs and industries. Those jobs and industries here in America took a leap on the stock market. Critics are grumbling, but Main Street applauds, as finally a leader puts America first.

On Capitol Hill, Republicans are capturing a six-point agenda. This is all about the budget, and a looming shutdown. Budget resolutions and reconciliation bills aimed to bolster defense, secure our borders, all the way while keeping a keen eye on the deficit, it's a tough balance.

Democrats support the -- the -- the Democrats support is absolutely needed to keep the government from running post-March 14th bipartisan cooperation that is a necessity.

It seems, because we're going to lose some stupid RINOs.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department is undergoing transformation. Seven prosecutors have resigned after being corrected to drop corruption charges against New York City's mayor Eric Adams, acting deputy attorney -- attorney general, Emil Bove cites governance concerns for the dismissal.

Critics say, it's a political maneuver. It's Nixon's Saturday Night Massacre. We'll see, as Kash Patel should be confirmed early this week.

And as he is, if he is, on day one, you expect the Epstein client list to follow within hours of him arriving at the Hoover building.

The budget committee, back to them. They have approved in the Senate, approving a fiscal year 2025 budget. The plan emphasizes bolstering border security, military strength, independence, and an annual allocation of 85.5 billion, an offset by corresponding spending cuts, reflecting a commitment for fiscal responsibility.

House Republicans are navigating their internal debates over their budget approach. The Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, advocates for comprehensive bill.

That combines Trump's tax cut agenda with increased funding for border security, military priorities.

Our friend and serious budget cutter, Chip Roy, is with the House package. We'll see if they can bring them both together.

Both chambers are working on this. Because funding expires on March 14th. Gee, have we ever heard that before?

We can't shut down the government! Really? I don't know.

Democrats are licking their chops. At a government shutdown as usual. But wouldn't it be them, that shut the government down? And, quite honestly, really? I've had enough of this game. Would anybody notice?

Maybe this time, the Republicans won't blow it. Trump sent the Pentagon a Valentine on Friday. That Valentine just pretty much said, be mine. He sent a -- he sent the DOGE team out to the Pentagon on Friday. Their mission is to cut the waste. Cut the crap at the Department of Defense. I think they're going to do that.

Last night, I don't know if Stu watched Hollywood.

They took the stage. Saturday Night Live. Celebrated 50 years of laughs, or depending on who you laugh. Fifty years of finishing returns.

The golden age was when Main Street was in on the joke.

Not the joke.

Tom Hanks is in trouble. He played a MAGA supporter. Oh. And the liberal laughs ensued.

Is it 2016 again?

And the hockey game. I don't know if you saw the hockey game between the US national team and Canada this week. Normally, I'm -- I'm not really into sports.

But sports sometimes, because it's part of culture, has a way of transcending and defining the era we live in.

Sometimes, it says out loud, what we're all thinking. And like the horns of Jericho, it announces our arrival and our future. So let's see if we can find any echoes in the past, that sound an awful lot like this weekend.

In 1980, the United States was in the same situation, we're in right now. And it was a hokey game that changed everything. By and large, the world had lost respect for us. Because just like now, we lost respect for ourselves. Our nation had gone through some of the intense movements in civil unrest, that we had ever seen.

The left seized on it, keeping us in a perpetual cycle of class, and societal warfare. Patriotism and trust, in the government was spiraling out of control.

Three years after Jimmy Carter accepted the Democratic nomination for president, he addressed these concerns in a televised speech.

It happened on July 15th, 1979. He said, there was a threat to the nation. And let me quote! The threat is nearly invisible in ordinary ways. It's a crisis of confidence.

It's a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national are.

We can see this crisis in confidence, in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives. And in the loss of unity and purpose for our nation.

Erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and political fabric of America. Wow, does that sound familiar!

And isn't it amazing how Carter could see what all of these policies were doing. He could deliver impassioned speeches on the dangerous results.

But then he would go back and double down on the policies that continued the spread of the virus.

The great inflation of the 1970s. It's what they used to call it. It hit a fever pitch by 1980. Interest rates spiked. They fell briefly. Then they flew up from there. Does any of this sound familiar? Banks stopped lending. Unemployment skyrocketed. The economy was clearly in a recession. The geopolitical landscape, pretty much the same.

We had lost respect for ourselves. So the world didn't respect us. Soviet Union appeared to be winning the war for global hearts and minds.

And then hockey!

Hockey came in to play. It was the battlefield of the Cold War. By 1980, the Soviet Union had taken home the gold in five of the six past Olympic Games. But then came the night of February 22nd, 1980.

The game had already happened. Hours earlier, due to a broadcast delay, Americans were expected to lose the mighty Soviet national hockey team.

But then we heard Al Michaels. Maybe the greatest sports call in modern history.

VOICE: You've got ten seconds to pass that ball. Five seconds left, and the game is over. I believe in miracles? Yes! Unbelievable.
(applauding)

GLENN: Do you believe in miracles? It was called the miracle on ice. Movies had been made about it. It was an announcement party was what it really was. It was the changing of the guard. It was the birth of the new era. Herb Brooks brought together a group that everyone said could not win, at a time, when America was convinced, it could not win.

And what it announced is: America is back. And we're not going to be pushed around anymore.

We will no longer be taken advantage of. We would no longer allow people just to laugh at us, or belittle us, because we were back!

Reagan, came in shortly after. Now, like 1980, we have just spent four years under a political ideology, as Carter put it. That strikes at the very heart and soul, and spirit of our national will.

Our young people, they don't care about America anymore.
They don't have pride or love for the country. Because we haven't raised them that way, in most cases. School is saying, there's no reason to be proud of your country. People take it for granted. They're ashamed of the accomplishments of America. Her history.

And the very ideology on which she stands. Now, before I get into this last part, I will say, I don't like the arguments between us and Canada right now. I don't like it.

We've always been friends. And it's a beautiful country. It's cold. I don't want to live there.

And I don't want it to be the 51st state. I actually think it's pretty funny that our president is calling the Prime Minister the governor. But the Canadian government, lead by their progressive Prime Minister, our Governor Justin Trudeau is an annoying mascot for everything that is wrong with global politics.

Well, he was at the hockey game on Saturday in Canada between the national Canadian team and the US national team. Rumor was, our boys were a little sick and tired of being booed, every time the national anthem is sung.

And they weren't going to take it. Why would they? Our country under the government leadership has been toothless and apologist for four years. We've been taught to be ashamed of our country. Why not boo the national anthem? And boo they did.

If you saw it, it made your head explode.
When the puck finally troped, at the start of the game, the American center, he barely looked at the puck. He didn't care about playing the game that the point. He immediately tore off his gloves. Dropped his stick. And clocked his opponent, taking him to the ground. When the referees pulled the American away, he skated with his head high, glaring at the hostile crowd. The message was clear. Screw Old Glory. To your peril! It was kind of awesome.

There were a total of three fights in the first nine seconds. Again, which I didn't like.

But the Americans were on a mission. The intensity through the game was brutal.

And the Americans delivered an old-fashioned American beat down. The US team delivered a message and won three to one. I don't know. Was it the miracle on ice of 1980?

Because that was more than a hockey game. And I couldn't help, but feel the same way on Saturday.

I think America is back. We're not ashamed. We're not going to be intimidated. Nor cower anymore.

But we don't hate our neighbors. We just love our country.

What she stands for.

And the birth of a new prosperous, and proud era, I think is upon us.

Congratulations, team USA.

RADIO

JD Vance ENRAGES European Elites by Denouncing CENSORSHIP?!

It seemed like Vice President JD Vance stood alone for free speech at the Munich Security Conference. The Conference’s chairman decried Vance’s critique of European "hate speech" laws, “60 Minutes” treated Germany’s “online hate speech” police raids as normal, and CBS News’ Margaret Brennan peddled the narrative even further, by suggesting that the Nazis “weaponized” free speech to orchestrate the Holocaust. “This is extraordinarily dangerous,” Glenn says. But if America must stand alone to defend free speech, so be it.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: So last hour, I played a little bit of J.D. Vance's speech at the German -- or Munich Security Conference. And he talked about how free speech is under attack. In Europe!

And he didn't just point out that it was Europe, that was having this problem.

But he said, it had to end. But let's not stand here and point the finger at you. Pragmatism let's point it to ourselves as well. Cut seven.

GLENN: And in the interest of comedy my friends, but also in the interest of truth. I will admit that sometimes the loudest voices for censorship, have come not from within Europe. But from within my own country. Where the prior administration threatened and bullied social media companies to censor so-called misinformation.

Misinformation like, for example, the idea that contester had likely leaked from a laboratory in China. Our own government encouraged private companies to silence people, who dared to utter what turned out to be an obvious truth.

So I come here today, not just with an observation. But with an offer. Just as the Biden administration seemed desperate to silence people for speaking their minds. So the Trump administration will do precisely the opposite, and I hope that we can work together on that.

And Washington, there is a new sheriff in town. And under Donald Trump's leadership. We may disagree with your views. But we will fight to defend your right to offer it in the public square. Agree or disagree.

GLENN: Wow! Didn't go over well. In fact, here's the Munich Security Conference chairperson, closing out the convention. Listen to this.

VOICE: This conference started as a transatlantic conference after this speech of Vice President Vance on Friday. We have to fear that our common value base is not that common anymore. I'm very grateful to all those European politicians that spoke out, and reaffirmed the values and principles, that they are defending.

No one did this better than President Zelinsky. Let me conclude that this becomes difficult.
(applauding)

GLENN: He was applauded for crying. That we don't have the same values in common anymore.

STU: Hmm.

GLENN: If this is the way Germany and the rest of Europe feels about freedom of speech, then, yes. We don't have the same values. And I don't care if we stand completely alone! We've done it before. And when it comes to freedom of the individual, if that's what it takes, that's what we must become. We have to square our shoulders and remember our principles. Yes! If you want to shut down free expression and free speech, which means you have to let the worst be said, so you can actually have dialogue, learn from one another, learn from the past, and not just become a zombie robot, with an out-of-control government that you can never speak against. Well, that's who we are!

That's what we stand against. I will tell you, that their own people -- I can guarantee you, are not for it. How do I know? Well, let me show you what happened on 60 minutes. Here's 60 minutes, joining a German police censorship raid.
(music)

VOICE: It's 6:01 on a Tuesday morning. And we are with state police as they rated this apartment in northwest Germany.

Inside, six armed officers search a suspect's home. Then seized his laptop and cell phone. Prosecutors say, those electronics may have been used to commit a crime. The crime? Posting a racist cartoon online.

At the exact same time, across Germany, more than 50 similar raids played out. Part of what prosecutors say, is a coordinated effort to curb online hate speech in Germany.

GLENN: Now, I don't like hate speech. I don't like seeing racist cartoons. But that is part of life! It depends on who is in power. On how you define hate. And when you have a government, able to take away inalienable rights, you have a real problem on your hand. Sixty minutes continues.

VOICE: Is it a crime to insult somebody in public?

VOICE: Yes, it is. Of course.

VOICE: And it's a crime to insult them online as well?

VOICE: Even higher, insulting someone on the internet.

VOICE: Why?

VOICE: Because in internet, it stays there. If we are talking face-to-face, you insult me, I insult you. Okay. Finished. But if you're on the internet, if I insult a politician.

VOICE: Then it takes around forever.

The prosecutors explain German law also prohibits the spread of malicious gospel, violent threats, and fake quotes.

VOICE: If somebody posts something that is not true. And then somebody else reposts it or likes it, are they committing a crime?

VOICE: In the case of reposting with, it's a crime as well. Because the reader can't distinguish between whether you just invented this or just reposted it?

VOICE: The punishment for breaking hate speech laws can include jail time for repeat offenders.

GLENN: Jail time. Jail time.

If you say something offense about a politician. Did anybody catch that? If you say something offensive about a politician. You can be charged with a height crime. You do it several times, and you will go to prison!

STU: That's a question of how much do we have in in common, before J.D. Vance's speech?

Apparently, not that much.

GLENN: Clearly not.

STU: If those are your laws, it's a crime?

You can't trust people to be able to decipher whether a quote is fake or not?

It's -- it's not their responsibility to -- to look it up themselves?

GLENN: Listen to cut three. CBS. Not pushing back.

VOICE: To build their cases, investigators scour social media, and use public and government data.

They say, sometimes social media companies will provide information to prosecutors, but not always. So the task force employs special software investigators to help unmask anonymous users.

VOICE: So this is suggest you kill people seeking asylum here.

VOICE: He says his unit has prosecuted about 750 hate speech cases over the last four years, but it was a 2021 case, involving a local politician, named Andy Groat, that captured the country's attention.

Groat complained about a tweet, that called him a pimmel. A German word for the male anatomy. That triggered a police raid, and accusations of excessive censorship by the government. As prosecutors explained to us in Germany, it's okay to debate politics online. But it can be a crime to call anyone a pimmel, even a politician.

VOICE: So it sounds like you're saying, it's okay to criticize a politician's policy. But not to say, I think you're a jerk and an idiot?

VOICE: Exactly. Like you're a son of a bitch. Excuse me for -- these words have nothing to do with a political discussions or a contribution of a discussion.

STU: And it's up to him to decipher whether it contributes or not.

GLENN: Yeah. Yeah. Boy, you better be careful if you're going over to Germany any time soon.

GLENN: 60 Minutes finally asks about some free speech issues. Listen to this.

VOICE: That this feels like the surveillance that Germany conducted 80 years ago. How do you respond to that?

VOICE: There is no surveillance.

VOICE: (inaudible) is a CEO of Hate Aid, a Berlin-based human rights organization, that supports victims of online violence.

VOICE: In the United States, a lot of people say, this is restricting free speech. It's a threat to democracy.

VOICE: Free speech needs boundaries.

GLENN: Hmm.

STU: Ah.

VOICE: In the case of Germany. These boundaries are part of our Constitution. Without boundaries, a very small group of people can rely on endless freedom to say anything that they want.

GLENN: Endless freedom.

STU: Oh, my gosh. It's scary.

VOICE: And your fear is, if people were freely attacked online, that they will withdraw from the discussion?

VOICE: This is not only a fear. It's already taking place. Already half of the internet users in Germany are afraid to express their political opinion. Many participate in public debates online anymore, half of the internet users.

STU: Of course. You're putting them in prison. When they say the wrong thing.

GLENN: I mean, it is Gestapo, with today's technology.

I've warned you. With today's technology, and what is right around the corner, you put a Hitler in charge of it.

STU: And there's not a Jew left in the world.

There's no place to hide in the entire world. This is extraordinarily dangerous.

Now, that's -- that was the extent of the CBS pushback on the Germans.

STU: That was a lot though.

GLENN: Then you get Marco Rubio. And they go to Marco Rubio, to ask him about this. Listen.

VOICE: Well, he was standing in a country where free speech was weaponized to conduct a genocide. And he met with the head of a political party, that has far right views. And some historic ties to extreme groups. The context of that, was changing the tone of it.

GLENN: Changing the tone.

VOICE: Well, I have to disagree with you. No. I have to disagree with you.

Free speech is not used to conduct a genocide. The genocide was conducted by authoritarian Nazi regime, that happened to be genocidal, because they hated Jews and they hated minorities and they hated those -- the list of people they hated. But primarily the Jews. There was no free speech in Nazi Germany. There was none.

There was also no opposition in Nazi Germany. They were the sole and only party that governed that country. So that's not an accurate reflection of history.

STU: Obviously.

GLENN: The free speech caused the Holocaust.

STU: Amazing.

GLENN: Free speech.

You couldn't speak out against the Nazis.

Who doesn't learn that in school? Well, probably most Americans. And clearly the journalists here in America. You had no free speech! How do you get everybody to give the Heil Hitler salute?

You don't do that by becoming popular. They didn't. They did it by beating people in the streets.

You will do this, when we salute. If you don't, we'll beat you to death in the streets. And we can get away with it. Because our guy is in power. There was no free speech! This is insanity! Now, I want to show you what -- what J.D. Vance said, that made the guy cry.

In Germany!

Now, I want you to remember that the Munich security conference chair cried at the closing of the conference.

Cried!

Because he realized the United States was no longer on the same side as Germany and Europe!

Now, that seems crazy. But, no. I'm not on the same side of people who want to silence anyone.

I am not for the silencing of people on the left here, I am not for silencing the people in the middle. Or the right.

Even to the extreme. Free speech is an absolute!

Unless you're calling for violence and it actually turns into violence. No! But you can say whatever it is you want. I know that sounds extreme. It didn't used to. But apparently, it does now.

Here's what J.D. Vance said. And if you think that Germany is the problem. Listen to this from J.D. Vance. Listen to this.

VOICE: I look to Brussels where the EU commissars warn citizens that they intend to shut down social media during times of civil unrest. The moment they spot what they've judged to be, quote, hateful content.

Or to this very country prepare police have carried out raids against citizens, suspected of posting antifeminist comments online. As part of, quote, combating misogyny on the internet.

A day of action. I look to Sweden, where two weeks ago, the government convicted a Christian activist for participating in Koran burnings that resulted in his friends' murder.

And as the judge in his case chillingly noted, Sweden's laws to supposedly protect free expression, do not, in fact, grant, and I'm quoting, a free pass to do or say anything without risking offending the group that holds that belief.

And perhaps, most concerningly, I look to our very dear friends, the United Kingdom. Where the backslide away from conscience have put basic liberties of religious Britains in the crosshairs.

A little over two years ago, the British government charged Adam Smith conner, a 51-year-old physiotherapist and Army veteran. With the heinous crime of sanding 50 meters from an abortion clinic and silently praying for three minutes. Not obstructing anyone.

Not interacting with anyone. Just silently praying on his own.

After British law enforcement spotted him and demanded to know what he was praying for. Adam replied, simply it was on behalf of the unborn son he and his girlfriend had aborted years before.

Now, the officers were not moved.

Adam was found guilty of breaking the government's new buffer zones law, which criminalizes silent prayer and other actions that could influence a person's decision within 200 meters of an abortion facility.

He was sentenced to pay thousands of pounds in legal costs to the prosecution. Now, I wish I could say this was a fluke, a one-off crazy example of a badly written law being enacted against a single person.

But no, this last October, just a few months ago. The Scottish government began distributing letters to citizens, whose houses lay within so-called safe access zones, warning them that even private prayer within their own homes, may amount to breaking the law.

Naturally, the government urged readers to report any fellow citizen suspected guilty of thought crime. And Britain and across Europe, free speech, I fear is in retreat.

GLENN: What part of that, did you disagree with.

What part of that makes you want to embrace the European Union?

For me, it's quite the opposite. I've always believed that Europe, our brothers and sisters, and we're fine.

And we should help one another. But I have to tell you, I no longer am comfortable with a single dollar going over to Europe, to defend those kinds of policies.

You're not on the same side.

We are not on the same side! If you violate freedom of speech, that way.

And remember, this is why Klaus Schwab told Europe, just believe in the system.

Well, what is the system?

We found out, the system is, if the people vote for a candidate that is not going to play ball. If they are at all in line with freedom of speech, they're a radical, need to be shut down.

And we cancel that election. Until the people get it right!

That's a dictatorship! We are seeing the hatred of the old Germany. And Europe. Start to grow again. And Europe could become a very large foe of freedom.

THE GLENN BECK PODCAST

Should the US Own Gaza? Ben Shapiro Explains Trump’s REAL Agenda | The Glenn Beck Podcast | Ep 245

Donald Trump may have just given “Free Palestine” a whole new meaning. In this episode of "The Glenn Beck Podcast," Ben Shapiro breaks down what Donald Trump understands about the Middle East and why he is seemingly immune to conventional State Department “nonsense” guidance on the Israel-Palestine conflict. “Nobody wants to own Gaza,” but what does Trump mean when he warns Hamas to return the hostages or else he will “let all hell break out”? If Ben advised Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, he would tell him to “listen to the president.” Ben and Glenn marvel at the breakneck speed at which the Trump administration is moving, how Elon Musk has been “unleashed on the federal government," and JD Vance’s clear position on AI in America. The two discuss tariffs, trade wars, annexing Canada, the war in Ukraine, Fauci, Epstein, the JFK assassination, and why we should investigate what went on during the Biden administration. In the end, they agree that “2024 was the nail in the coffin for legacy media” and joke that they are, in fact, “not tired of winning.”

RADIO

The MAJOR Difference Between the Trump and Biden Economies

Democrats just aren't getting the message: The American people are DONE with Big Government and their socialist agenda. But there is one thing that Trump must watch out for: the economy. If inflation continues for too long, it could mean trouble for his administration. However, Glenn explains the major difference between the Trump and Biden administrations when it comes to the economy: at least Trump is being honest with us. Instead of insisting that the economy is the greatest it's ever been, like Biden did, Trump has admitted that more pain could still be on the horizon. But hopefully, it will only be temporary...

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Boy, I have to tell you, I think the -- the left just doesn't know what to do. They are on the ropes.

And then -- and then you put somebody like David Hogg in? As -- I mean, what are you thinking?

STU: Vice Chair of the DNC.

GLENN: Yeah. What are you thinking?

STU: They've learned nothing.

GLENN: Nothing.

STU: I think they're just panicking right now. And there is a reason to believe, if we're being honest here. That the American people are fickle. And they usually just run out of gas for whoever is in office. And I -- you know, you can't look ahead. And think, okay. This is 40 years of success ahead.

Like, they're going to do something. Right now, they're flailing though. We're three weeks into this.

GLENN: Right.

But you also have to remember, that it wasn't too long ago, that books were being written. How the Republican Party will never come back. It's over.

It will be 100 years of democratic rule.

STU: There was a book. Was it James Carville who wrote it about how Republicans would be a regional party only? This is after Barack Obama's 2008 election. The 2010 election was the biggest wave election in 100 years.

GLENN: Yeah.

STU: That's how fast this stuff can dry up. So this is why I'm so encouraged by what Trump is doing here. In that, we are at a situation, that he's realizing that he doesn't maybe have the longest road to do all of the stuff. He's got to get it done. And hopefully, it works, and excites the American people. And don't lose the House, for example, in 2026. Which is usually what happens.

GLENN: But you have to have someone competent to run, somebody who has vision.

I mean, you know, when you're putting in as your vice chair, David Hogg. It doesn't show

STU: It's at least a somewhat meaningless role.

GLENN: I know that. But still, it shows me that you are -- you are still on the same message. You know, I was talking to somebody yesterday. Do we have the picture of the front of Rockefeller Center? This is one of the buildings in Rockefeller Center. Pull it up if you can, online.
And it is a glass cutting of the front of Rockefeller Center. Do you have it?

STU: They're working on it. They are working on it, Glenn.

GLENN: Okay. There it is. So it's hard to see. But see, there are two horses. And then the strong guy, naked. Standing, holding those horses back. He's standing on a chariot. And the two horses are being held back.

STU: Looks like he works out.

GLENN: There's a sunrise right in front of those horses. And you will see the youth, in front of the horses, kind of leading the horses. Okay?

STU: Yeah.

GLENN: What this means is, this is -- this is the -- the socialist movement, the Democratic Party.

This is the horses represent industry. The strong man in the chariot is the government, and it's holding back the reins of industry. It's got industry completely in its grip and control.

STU: Hmm.

GLENN: And the youth of tomorrow, lead us into the sunrise and the new chapter. This is socialism. This is what they're still offering us. Where Trump is saying, no. We don't want the strong guy in the chariot. We don't -- we don't want that.

And we just want competent people. I don't care if they're 12 or 112. If they're competent, we just want competent people. You know, setting the course for us.

And that could be -- it doesn't necessarily have to be elected. The elected guy is in the chariot. I want that guy just to be really small. And really, not even in the picture, quite honestly.

STU: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, this goes back to the speech J.D. Vance made last week, about AI. Which we haven't discussed all that much. It was really encouraging. It was like saying, hey. We're freaking America here.

You know, we're going to -- of course, we're going to dominate this industry.

Obviously. Do we want it? Yeah, stop we're going to take it.

And we're not going to lose to China. It was like -- it wasn't -- it wasn't apologizing for that. It wasn't saying, well, really, we should give this technology to everyone.

Because everyone needs it. It's like, no. No, we're just the best at it. And we will do everything we can, to make sure we're the ones in control of this. It's not only important for our economy, but also the nation's security.

GLENN: And freedom of the world, quite honestly. Did you see what James Cameron came out and said? Normally I don't care what James Cameron said. But he's the guy with Skynet and the Terminator.

STU: Okay. Yeah.

GLENN: He came out and said, you know, I wrote a fictional nightmare, he said. But this time, it's not fictional. It's not speculation. It's already happening.

That's a quote from him. He said, it's a scarier scenario than what I presented in the Terminator four years ago. If for no other reason, that it's no longer science fiction. It's happening right now. You'll be living in a world that you didn't agree to, didn't vote for.

Are forced to share with a super intelligence entity, that wants to follow the goals of a corporation. This entity will have access to your communications. Beliefs. Everything you ever said. And the whereabouts of every person in the country through personal data.

He said, its ability to predict and influence human behavior. This is surveillance capitalism. And surveillance capitalism can toggle pretty quickly into digital totalitarianism. This is the hard place. Is, I don't want the government to own it, but I also don't trust corporations to own it.

STU: I trust corporations more than I trust the government.

GLENN: Hmm.

STU: I do. That one is not a tough decision for me. I understand -- I feel like, it's a little more difficult than maybe conservatives felt at one point.

GLENN: I mean, I distrust them equally. It's not like I trust one more than the other.

STU: That's fair.

GLENN: I distrust both of them.

STU: I trust corporations more. And the reason is that there's actual competition between them.

And it's -- I don't trust any individual corporation necessarily. But like, the -- the impacts of the market, I think generally speaking, lead to us good things.

You know, but that -- it's up for debate, of course. The problem here, you sort of have to choose one path or another. I can tell you, I do not want centralized control of AI.

Do I want guardrails around it for national security purposes? Sure. But when it comes to whether -- I don't love tech companies, for example. I think there's been a lot of good things. But there's been a lot of bad things. That being said, the difference between that and the government. To me, there's a pretty bright line there.

GLENN: I have to tell you, if you look at what's happening in Europe, and Canada. I mean, did you hear that in Canada. They're now trying to pass a bill, that you can go to prison, if you say anything favorable about oil, gas, or coal? That's sensible. That's going to work out really well, isn't it?

STU: These are products that have built our civilization.

GLENN: Exactly right. You can't run -- not just built it in the past.

STU: Currently.

GLENN: We can't live without any of that stuff.

STU: No. And they're like, no, you can't even talk about it positively.

GLENN: It's crazy.

STU: It's basically crazy about everything. Let alone something that's been really positive to our world.

GLENN: Also Linda McMahon. Yesterday, she talked about in her confirmation hearing.

She said, fund educational freedom. Not government-run systems.

This is her plan. Listen to the parents. Not the politicians. Build up careers. Not college debt. Empower states, not special interests.

Invest in teachers, not Washington bureaucrats. November proved that Americans overwhelmingly support the president's vision, and I'm ready to enact it.

Education is an issue that determines our national success, and prepares American workers to win the future. The legacy of our nation's leadership and education is one that every person in this room embraces with pride. Unfortunately, many Americans today are experiencing a system in decline.

I think she's -- I think -- I mean, I don't know how you argue against these things. I really don't. We all know our schools are failing like crazy. She was asked, does that mean that you are going to cut off the funds for schools that need, you know, help because they're in low tax -- no! No. We'll still help those. But we're going to get rid of all of this crap, that you're required to do, to get any of that money.

They have to be run, the classrooms need to be run by the parents and the teachers locally. Not some bureaucrats in Washington, DC.

STU: Yeah. And she -- McMahon is a real advocate for school choice.

This is an incredible. We have a real opportunity to make a massive difference for millions of children.

GLENN: Yep.

STU: For millions of children in this four-year period, and it's really exciting. Even here in Texas, where we had an election. We talked about the House Speaker situation. Who, it did not go the way the conservatives were hoping in Texas.

But at least as of today, Burrows (phonetic), who is the guy -- not the more conservative option, is claiming that they're going to go forward with school choice in Texas.

Even, I mean, we're at the point now, even what you might call the RINO contingency is like, okay. We'll do that. This is incredible, Glenn! We've been talking about this policy for ten years.

GLENN: Longer than that. As long as we've been on the air, we've been discussing as this sort of pie-in-the-sky. Hey, maybe that will -- and vouchers! Like it was this thing, that would never occur.

And all of a sudden, it's occurring. All over the country.

GLENN: So here's what concerns me. Is Donald Trump -- I love these people who are coming out from the Democrat side. Saying, have you checked inflation?

No. There is no inflation.

This is the greatest economy ever. What are you talking about?

The Bidenflation is the work against inflation that Biden has been doing. Bidenomics, it's the greatest thing ever. I can't believe the people who told us, there was no such thing as inflation. Are now crying, you know, the inflation numbers. And I'm happy to say, that our president is saying, yes! Inflation will go up. And it will be hard. And we are working to -- to reverse that. He's at least recognizing the reality of the situation.

And it is going to go up, and get worse before it gets better.